Chapter 9
In truth, Ritzhaian had not immediately concluded that Carta was the culprit.
There had been a series of arson incidents, and he was a likely suspect—but there had been no evidence. She could not simply draw conclusions without proof.
Not a single person who had witnessed the fire at the Werner estate had ever seen the perpetrator.
And that fact had been what hurt her the most at the time.
Given that it had been an internal accident, she knew better than anyone—it could not have been that.
And even if it had been a careless mistake, her family would never have allowed the entire estate to burn so completely.
‘Sobs… who on earth did this… who…!’
She had lost her family in an instant, yet what tormented and enraged her most was that she could not even find a target for her hatred.
So she had wandered through the ashes like a ghost. Lost. For an entire month.
It was only when she finally encountered those men in the ruins that she was able to give her aimless grief a direction—Carta.
‘So, he’s gone so far as to target even a respected noble house. My condolences, young lady.’
They were undeniably dangerous men at a glance.
Holsters at their waists openly held firearms, and their entire presence was sharp, ominous, and unsettling.
Yet the words they spoke to her—while she wept before the gravestone—remained forever etched in her memory.
“Who are you…? And who is ‘he’?”
The man who seemed to be their leader had white hair and violet eyes.
He studied her briefly, then, as if in respect for the dead, traced a cross over the grave. Only then did he speak without even looking at her.
“The one who destroyed your family is a man named ‘Carta’ of the ‘Famille Hagen.’ He is infamous even in the underworld… you may have heard of him.”
“Famille Hagen…?”
“One of the two organizations that rule the underworld.”
The underworld.
Anyone in Enswiden had heard of it at least once.
A shadow realm spanning the entire kingdom—birthplace of all crime.
“Why…? Our family has nothing to do with the underworld. Why would someone like that… target us…?”
“I understand your frustration. But do criminals need a grand reason? Your house is not the only one. Many have suffered from his actions.”
“Who… who are you people?”
“Ah, forgive my manners. We are… people trying to stop Carta. Though it seems we arrived too late.”
“So you’re from the same place? Hagen or whatever…?”
“Not quite. I ask that you not lump us together with those people. We are of a different faction.”
Her hands trembled violently. A boiling emotion surged from deep within her chest.
Carta of Famille Hagen…
“Even if we are not the same organization, his actions have caused us considerable trouble. We would eliminate him immediately if we had the means, but unfortunately, we lack the capacity at present.”
“Capacity…?”
“Yes. Carta holds a relatively high position, so it is not easy to touch him directly. We need more groundwork, but the situation is not favorable.”
In any case, she wanted revenge. Even if she had nothing left, she could not forgive the one who had taken everything.
And just like that, they appeared before her like a signpost.
“Is there anything I can do? Money, anything. If it means I can take revenge on the one who destroyed my family, I will give everything I have.”
“Young lady, I understand your feelings, but this is not something you should involve yourself in. You might get hurt as well. And your first priority should be restoring House Werner.”
“At a time like this, do you really think my life or my house matters? I’ll do anything! Anything at all! As long as I can make him suffer the same pain!”
“‘Anything,’ you say… you may regret that.”
“I won’t.”
Regret had only ever had one meaning for her.
That she had been powerless—watching her family burn without being able to do anything.
“Very well… if that is your will. My name is Quentino Bacada, young lady. If you lend us your strength, I will assist you in your revenge.”
So there was no reason for her to refuse that hand.
It was the only path she could see.
And she had nowhere else to go.
* * *
Rubén wondered how she had become entangled with an underworld organization.
“Was that really all it took…? Did they threaten you?”
But he had no intention of satisfying his curiosity.
He felt exhausted.
“No. It was my choice. And it wasn’t simply recklessness. I believe that answers your question.”
Wanting to end the conversation, Ritzhaian stood from the sofa.
“…What are you doing?”
But Rubén grabbed her wrist firmly, stopping her from leaving.
It didn’t even feel like he was using much strength, yet she could not move at all.
It felt like being frozen in place. No—rather, as if something burning had seized her entirely, leaving her unable to resist.
“Do you have anything else to say? I don’t. Can we talk later?”
Perhaps to suppress the breathlessness rising in her chest, her tone turned sharp. But Rubén did not budge.
Instead, he simply looked at her for a long time, expression completely concealed.
“….”
“….”
She could not escape it.
Neither his gaze directed at her,
nor the silence that followed.
Finally, he spoke.
“No matter what happens, I will protect you. So from now on, don’t think about what’s behind you. Just do what you want.”
Her eyes widened in shock at his words.
It felt as though he had pierced straight through something buried deep inside her.
Her blood seemed to drain from her body all at once.
“I won’t let you die. So go to the guild. Ritzhaian.”
At his words, the documents she had been holding slipped from her grasp.
Rustle… rustle… thud—
Pages scattered across the floor.
* * *
Even from appearance alone, there were many who clearly did not look like ordinary people.
What mattered was being able to distinguish them even when they mixed among others.
If you feared death.
“Didn’t expect you to come here yourself.”
“I’ve been paying close attention to this matter. Why, Feijin. Is this not a place for me?”
“Of course not. I was merely surprised by your visit.”
Even when an uninvited guest arrived, the man had no choice but to accept them politely.
In truth, the truly dangerous ones were those who did not hide who they were.
Like the men before him, with snake tattoos coiling around their necks like marks of identity.
They were uninvited guests—but also people welcomed everywhere they went.
Thus, the nameless man knew he must not show unease.
He had seen many who had died for offending such people.
But even for a seasoned man like him, this time was difficult.
Because the man before him was no ordinary figure.
He carefully guided them inside and led them to the finest room.
“Did he arrive as instructed?”
“Yes. He should have received the letter.”
“Good. I hope he doesn’t dawdle too much. The souls of my fallen men must be eagerly waiting for Carta in hell…”
“He will likely come here immediately. She is a woman consumed by revenge more than anyone.”
Among those bearing the snake tattoos, the one seated at the head was already decided.
A man who sat as though the place belonged to him from the beginning.
He exuded an unsettling aura more than anyone present.
Not merely because of his violet eyes filled with killing intent, nor the scar along his cheek, nor the black clothes he wore.
It was the authority embedded in every word he spoke.
A pressure that stabbed violently into everyone in the room.
“Of course. And do you remember what I told you?”
“Yes, of course…”
“Good… though you look like you have something to say.”
The man beside him trembled more than anyone else.
He thought he had kept a neutral expression, but his inner thoughts had already been seen through.
“Do you truly have no objection to the Clan Leader’s actions… may I ask a question?”
“Speak.”
The man, bearing eyes that felt like they contained poison capable of draining life itself, made him shake uncontrollably.
He carefully chose his words.
“What use is that woman to us beyond providing funds for hunting Carta? She seems like nothing more than a source of capital.”
“Why are you so interested in her? Do you have feelings for her after meeting her a few times?”
“Not at all. It’s just that House Werner appears to have nothing left to offer.”
“Hmm… that’s where you’re wrong. That damned old man, Ethan, is still clinging to Hagen, insisting on maintaining Enswiden’s order even after Carta vanished.”
“…Pardon?”
The guild master could not understand.
Ritzhaian Werner had spent an entire year requesting leads on Carta, yet had received nothing. That had all been blocked by external pressure.
And now she was suddenly being summoned, finally granted the information she had long been denied.
Naturally, he questioned the intent behind it.
“No matter how much she struggles, it won’t last long. Her so-called noble status will become bait to lure out the vanished Carta.”
“….”
The guild master could not respond.
The man chuckled, still unconcerned with whether anyone understood him.
“We’ll see when it happens. And when it does… the underworld will finally be mine. Heh…”
He did not know exactly what would happen.
But the guild master could feel, instinctively, that something large was about to unfold.
And he swallowed hard.
He silently offered a prayer.
For Ritzhaian Werner—the woman who would become its sacrifice.
And who would not even find peace in death.
